Another Circle Around the Sun...

“Another year has come and gone, another circle ‘round the sun”... 

I am so grateful for you, my babies, for choosing me to be your mama, and I encourage you to reflect on every area of your lives so as to be better today than you were yesterday.

Just Me & My Max

To my Max, who was born with a most unique charisma, or energy if you will, that is intense and passionate and kind, I hope that you continue to live a life filled with the curiosity that you have always had and determination for the way you want to be with people, young and old. Your larger than life way has always filled a space in my life that reminds me of how wonderful childhood is.

Thank you Bill Watterson for years of joy and possibilities.

To my Jillian who has an incredible drive and dedication toward connection in all that she does, and for the good that comes with that. I admire the ground you walk on baby and remember your long attention span that exceeded all that I had known. This too is a gift from your birth. Remember my darling to always gift yourself with balance of being, each and every day. 

"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." Albus Dumbledore

For both of you, I hold you in utmost awe, as I watch you choose to keep a vision of the life that you want to live, close to your heart and mind, knowing that you must work at it in the physical, to make it happen. 2020 is going to be an extraordinary year. Read that again… Extraordinary!

When you were living at home and every morning as you headed out to the bus that took you to school, I threw words at you. Do you remember them? 

Work hard 

Learn lots 

Have fun

Because…

“Days are never long enough”...

Love

~ me, your mom 

(Days are Never Long Enough - written by Steve Earle My favourite version is sung by Thomas Dybdahl & Lera Lynn)

2019

I am goal setter. Each day actually, as well as at the beginning of a new year and at the beginning of September. I set intentions and write out the process of how I will meet these goals and honour my intentions and reside in the “how”. I haven’t always done this strategically or even with a conscious knowledge. As a child, I began each day making my bed and tidying up my room so that I could play in an environment that was clear of clutter. The second thing I ever bought with money earned, was bedding so that my bed was pretty to look at. My room was always the guest room because it was in order. As a young adult, I set my sights high and had goals that I have never reached, but I’m okay with that, because it was the pattern of daily living that provided me with the wherewithal to keep soaring.

Through the years my New Year’s Resolution have been things like, run more, write daily and clean less, but this past year, 2019, I chose a word. My word was integrity. I feel that I have strong integrity of word to others, but this year I wanted to have integrity of word even for self. I decided I was going to stand by the things that I promised myself. Meditate more, practise yoga more, read more self-improvement books, and listen to health podcasts. More was easy for me to do because all I had to do was add one more day a week to each of these; that became more. Was I really practising integrity of word to self?

I live a reflective life in all that I do and I have been very good at taking constructive criticism in my work life. I even ask for it. As I look back on this year, I wonder, did I live up to my initial thought of what integrity of word to self meant? I’m not sure but I am glad that I set this in motion. 2019 was a great year for me. I smiled a lot, had fun with kids, read 19 books, skied and ran and worked and wrote and travelled and saw people I hadn’t seen in a very long time. As I close up this year, I am okay with not meeting all of my goals and I am grateful for yet another New Year to ring in…

~ Ellyn